Menu bar (File, Edit, etc) often unresponsive on Windows 11, After Effects 23.1. and above

[Nikjacek]

After Effects Version 23.2.0 (Build 65)

Windows 11 22H2 (Build 22621.1265)

Menu items take a long time to drop down when clicked, sometimes over a minute. The software will hang while I wait. The Composition menu is the least responsive of the menus. This started after I upgraded to Windows 11.

Expected result: click on the Composition menu and see the dropdown instantly

Actual result: click on the Composition menu and After Effects hangs for up to a minute before the menu appears.

Title edited by Mod.

[nishu_kush]

Hi Saeed_R,

Thanks for sharing the details.

This issue has been identified as a bug. Sorry for the inconvenience. The team is working on a fix.

Thanks,

Nishu

[noellep60606070]

I am having the same issue and haven't been able to work with the latest releases.  ANY change I try to make to the font size, line spacing, etc., stalls my computer for at least 30 seconds for each change.  Thank goodness I can still use 2022 without any of these same issues.  PLEASE...fix this anomaly.  Thank you!

[design224]

Same issue "all of a sudden" two days ago. However, the solution for me was just to close the character panel. It's not open anywhere and all is well. Open when I need it, close when not. Easy work around.

[nishu_kush]

Hi all,

Changes were made in the latest version (22.5) so that After Effects can perform better with the Character panel open. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

In addition to that, the new Properties panel (introduced in 22.4) consists of all the Character Panel features. Hence, you may not need to open the Character panel at all.

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Nishu

[Saeed5CEA]

Hi Nishu,

The character panel problem was happening with the 23, not 22 version. I updated AE today to 23.5.0 and the problem still exists! 

Unless I undock the character panel, AE will become very slow and impossible to work with.

Thanks,

Saeed 

[Hunter_Koerner]

Can confirm this is still very much an issue! If my character panel is open, and on my right monitor, my After Effects menus lag terribly, rendering the software almost unusable. If I don't use a character panel, or if I move it to the other monitor, I am able to work normally. Honstly, kind of shocked this still hasn't been resolved! 

[Jihad I Am]

Undocking the charachter tab fixed it for me as well. Thanks Yaman.

[nishu_kush]

@Hunter_Koerner @Jihad I Am 

What's the exact version of After Effects you're using? Have you updated to the latest version (23.5)?

Let us know.

Thanks,

Nishu

[jericksondesign]

Just wanted to say I had an issue with AE grinding to a halt anytime I used the top windows menu. After 6 months this thread finally gave me the answer (just closing the Character Panel). This feels like such an inexcusable bug for a company which charges me so so much every month to use its products. One final note, I almost gave up looking through here because of the un-ending negativity of Mylenium. I understand that the more information presented the better but most people coming to these forums are coming because something has gone wrong with the program for the first time and they're just looking for help.

[Jeff_Bluejade]

Can confirm that this issue still exists in 24.2.1. Closing the Character Panel still corrects this issue, but it's pretty disappointing that it is still unresolved. Using the Character Panel is a pretty basic need, and it often brings AE to a screeching halt. I'm sometimes seeing a 7-8 second delay for any menu click. 

[nishu_kush]

@Jeff_Bluejade 

Does closing the Character panel fix the issue for you? We haven't seen any new reports on this issue in some time. Can you install the latest version and see if the issue exists? If it doesn't, can you try launching After Effects in Safe Mode with third-party plug-ins disabled? Here's how: https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-discussions/how-to-troubleshoot-startup-issues-in-after... 

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

Nishu

[ivanb75014087]

I can confirm that this issue still persists with the latest version (24.4.1). The only temporary solution I've found is closing the Character panel.

[LittleGreenDog]

I'm so glad to find this thread! I've been dealing with this lag for what seems like a year now, even in the latest After Effects (25.1.0, Build 51). Undocking or closing Character window does indeed solve the problem. Also, I hadn't realized that the new Properties window includes both Character and Paragraph settings, so I have closed both text windows as they are now considered unnecessary.

This makes me wonder why these two windows are still there since they are unnecessary now, and one of them causes a severe performance issue. Shouldn't they be removed from a future release of AE?

Thanks to those who posted the solution!

[skylarmvn]

Unbelievable, the problem was identified in 2022, yet it persists in 2025. OMG Adobe??? I'm grateful for the one who had the solution and thanks god I've found this post. Character Panel still makes AE lag and unable to work (because AE freezes every time user clicks on the menu bar)

[nishu_kush]

Hi there,

We've not seen anyone reporting this issue in a long time. Do you mind sharing more details? What version of After Effects are you using? Are you on Windows or Mac? Has it started happening after installing a new program or font?

Let me know.

Thanks,
Nishu